1. Technical Field
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for automatically transporting material by cable to a selected location.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
In the most widely known devices and methods for transporting by cable, the transporting apparatus is permanently mounted on the cable and it is the cable, rather than the transport, which moves. These devices suffer from the disadvantage that they are very large structurally, and they require powerful driving stations, if only to move the entire cable mass. Furthermore, the moving cable must be supported by pylons that are spaced along the entire route of the cable. Adequate support for the cable also requires that the pylons be of considerable diameter and be equipped with pulleys that are provided with anti-derailing devices and are mounted so that they are orientable in every plane. While the expense of these moving systems can be justified in some applications, such as transporting skiers or large machinery, many uses of these systems are prohibitively expensive. In particular, moving cable devices for transporting explosives for the controlled triggering of avalanches have generally proven to be very expensive.